Season's Delights and Cold Winter Nights
by thegoatromantic
Summary: After celebrating with everyone at the Snow Festival, Klaus would like to celebrate at home a little later with his wife, Rachel. KlausxRachel


Author's Note: I have a particular fondness for this story in my heart, mostly because not only is it my longest and likely best written work, but also because I borrowed a few of the lines from the game, which is what inspired this story to begin with. It took me forever to write this, probably close to a month, because I wanted this relationship to not only "happen," but also to be realistic, which was harder than I had originally thought because Klaus is so... Klaus. But after a month of agonizing over this I'm very satisfied with it, and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Don't forget to leave a comment at the end! Enjoy.

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*Season's Delights and Cold Winter Nights*

Harvest Moon: A New Beginning

Klaus x Rachel

Rachel looked at her husband from across the icy field, his form barely visible beyond the snow palace everyone had just finished sculpting. It had been a fantastic year, full of joy, and the town had gotten together once again to celebrate the good cheer. In all honesty, the festivals were probably what the farmer loved most about Echo Town; in past towns Rachel had lived in, there had been gatherings, but none nearly so personal and interactive as the ones found here. It really gave one a sense of belonging, something Rachel appreciated in her home.

Dusting off her pants, Rachel waved to the other women she had been talking to and moved down to talk to Yuri, her best friend. The fashionable girl was quiet, even more so since her best friend, Michelle, had gone off to bigger and better things once again, leaving her with only her mother as company. They shared many companionable silences together, and even more laughter and good times at Sandra's cafe during the mornings over steaming cups of tea and coffee. The gossip they shared amongst themselves was some of the best Rachel had ever heard, and she wouldn't trade her sometimes stoic friend for anyone else in the world, regardless of how anyone else in town viewed her.

Yuri waved back at Rachel in response, slowly stirring from her reverie as the blonde woman pranced toward her playfully in the snow, the feathery white powder flying up around her body as she moved. Yuri's face lit up at the approach, but she still seemed to be lost somewhere between reality and daydreaming, something that worried Rachel.

"This palace is amazing, isn't it, Yuri? I can't believe so many people showed up to work on it this year." Rachel beamed, her breath coming out in frozen puffs as she approached her solemn pal. She looked at her concernedly, wondering what the problem was. Too caught up in the good feelings to want to bring down the mood, she made a mental note to ask her friend about it tomorrow when they met at Sandra's.

The fashionista nodded at her, smiling gently. "It looks really nice." She looked up at the palace, considering it, then back at her friend and grinned. "I like participating with everyone." Her mood seemed to improve physically, but there was still the sense that she was holding something back, something that she refrained from mentioning that caused her words to lack the conviction they deserved.

Yuri had always had problems associating with others in the village. It wasn't that there was dislike on anyone's part, it was simply a matter of Yuri being much too shy to approach anyone in conversation. Rachel recalled some of the trips she had taken to the tailor's shop before their friendship had really bloomed, and she cringed mentally, remembering how painfully awkward it had been for her. They had been predominantly silent encounters, and not ones Rachel made frequently; if her clothes didn't have holes, she wouldn't go. It was as simple as that. As time went on camaraderie grew, and of course the trips became more frequent.

But somehow she felt as if the other townspeople were not the problem. Rachel thought again to Michelle, wondering what had happened between her and Yuri before she had gone. Forsooth, it could only have been the energetic pink magician that could have had her friend acting this way, much more drawn into herself than she usually was. She was concerned, to say the least, but knew if she worried on it for too much longer currently, it would ruin her entire evening.

Returning back to the conversation at hand, she chattered amicably with her best friend before a light tapping at her waist distracted her. She looked down to find a slender white hand curling fondly about her side. She looked up, her eyes meeting those of her husband's, and she smiled at him, leaning over and gently kissing him on the cheek.

Yuri blushed, averting her eyes from the couple, and mumbled a quick greeting to him. She was perfectly comfortable around Rachel, but she was still working on warming up to Klaus, the town doctor and husband of her best friend. She muttered to Rachel something about leaving, then went to her mother and left the couple to themselves in their frosty, love-filled wonderland.

Klaus lifted his eyebrow as the girl left, always wondering about her anti-social behaviors, then put her out of his mind and spun his wife to face him, his eyes studying her flushed form. Snow swayed gently around her, falling softly, going to rest in her straw-colored hair and on the tip of her reddened nose. She looked blissful, perfectly at peace, and he tsked, his tongue clucking quietly under his breath as he surveyed her. He touched her cheek lightly, feeling the chill against his hand, and frowned at her, tugging her scarf tighter around her neck to keep her warm.

"Darling, your cheeks are like ice. You must be cold from making the snow sculpture. You should take it easy in the bath later. I wouldn't want you passing out from the abrupt change in temperature. It wouldn't do for you to pass out, you know. You should take better care of your health than that." He looked up into the sky, squinting as the snow landed on his face, then took off his glasses, reached into his pocket to pull out a cloth, and rubbed the lenses down to rid them of water smears. He placed his glasses primly back upon his nose and looked down to his wife. "It's getting late. We should go home." He looked at her tenderly and held out his hand for her to grab. She placed her gloved palm in his, then turned and began walking with him under the bannered arches of the festival grounds, the commotion and noise slowly draining away until they were well away from the festivities and the only sound to be heard was the crunch and poof of their footsteps in the snow.

Rachel walked with her husband in a harmonious silence, her mind drifting back to the odd behavior of Yuri. She was concerned for her friend, knowing that she was quiet, but never quite in this way before. She was almost certain now that it was directly related to the pink magician, Michelle, and she told herself to remember to talk to Emma about it, as well. There was no knowing what sort of story Yuri would make up, or how she would choose to change the conversation when the subject was brought up; if there was one thing Rachel really disagreed with concerning Yuri, it was the way she avoided talking about things that troubled her. Rachel was more of a 'speak your mind' kind of girl, and the extremely shy personality of her friend bothered her from time to time. She continued to ponder this until her husband nudged her, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Don't worry about Yuri for now, dear, just enjoy the rest of the evening." He smiled at her, one of the rare treats he reserved for only her and slung his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer, nestling her comfortably into the side of his body."You know," he said, pondering something. "If you'd like, I can give you some of my favorite bath salts. They'll warm you up splendidly." The last of his words came out with a soft lilt to it, belying he meant more than just the words he had spoken.

When he said this, his warm breath washed over the side of her chilled neck and Rachel shivered, her body slowly heating at the implications of her husband's words and actions. She giggled, giving him a flirty glance from beneath her lashes, then wrapped her arm coquettishly around his shoulder and spoke in a low, unintentionally husky voice. "Will you be joining me?"

Klaus blinked his eyes shut, lifting his nose high into the air, and spoke, as if Rachel were a child and he were a benevolent and gracious adult. "I suppose I can." He looked at her from out of the corner of his raised eyes and smiled at her, his face just as warm and flirty as hers.

Their love was strange and unconventional, to say the least. Everyone in the town had been surprised when the pair had announced their nuptials, completely blindsiding everyone with the decision and, even furthermore, the relationship. They had somehow managed to keep it relatively secret, with only a few rumors floating around about the town, though it hadn't exactly been a motion on their part to keep it secret. Klaus, of course, had not been flaunting in his affections, as he wasn't the type to sing his love from the hilltops, but had not been secretive about them either. He hadn't kept his feelings from Rachel since they had first begun dating, and regardless of whether or not anyone had been in the office, if she had been there, he had been caring and friendly with her, much to the confusion of his patients who had summed it up to a close friendship. Somehow, it had been dropped there, but from time to time Rachel would hear gossip about herself and Klaus, though neither of them were ever confronted about it.

The lights on the path leading to the house glowed softly, bathing everything beneath them in a warm amber light. Rachel admired them, proud of all the work she had done for the town; when she had first arrived, there had been but a handful of villagers, all of them convinced their tiny town would never grow to be anything more than an unmarked spot on a map. But Rachel had changed that, bringing the town prosperity with her determination and hard work, going from sun up to sundown while single-handedly gathering the material for the next blueprint. It felt good to know that she had done something with her life, and she knew her parents, mostly her father, would be proud of her for her work, as he had once lived in the minute village decades before.

The door to the house swung open quietly, not creaking as it was opened by Klaus's hand. He flicked on the lights, the house instantly warming and becoming the inviting family atmosphere the pair had established together. Although they had no children as of yet, there was almost the feeling that it was impending, was only a matter of time before there were tiny toes tapping across the white marble floors and lush, shaggy carpets covering the tiles. Rachel breathed a sigh of relief, her body suddenly unwinding from the earlier excitement, and she thought of the bath she had been promised. She slipped her shoes off next to the door and moved to the carpet beneath the dining table, stretching and curling her toes in the long, plush hairs of it.

The rugs, much to Klaus' dismay, had been the styling choice of Rachel, who had fallen in love with them upon first sight. The solemn doctor had tried to change her mind, informing her how much dust would hide itself in between the ample fibers, and of course how bad said dust was for their health, but Rachel ignored him, going ahead with the purchase. Even further to his horror was her decision to buy multiple of the same rug and spread them all over the house like dangerous little minefields just waiting to explode in asthma attacks.

Klaus hung his jacket on the coat rack next to the door and systematically removed the rest of his snow gear, storing it in the newly-made gold chest his wife had just finished crafting earlier in the week. After everything was neatly stored away he moved to the kitchen and began to make a mess of dishes, busily preparing something to eat. Rachel's stomach growled as she watched him, hunger beginning to inch its way into her body. Though she was a fantastic chef, as had been proved by cooking festival after cooking festival, each of which she had placed first, Klaus was phenomenal and Rachel much preferred to eat when he made meals. It was likely a combination of the fact that not only was Klaus a skilled chef, but food always tasted better when the person eating was not also the person cooking.

She smiled at him, watching him move happily about the kitchen, adding a medley of vegetables to the pot simmering on the stove, and it was the matronly smile a woman gives when her life is as perfect as she wishes it could be. She sat watching him for awhile longer until she could no longer stand to watch and went to their bedroom, removing her wet clothes and changing into something a little more dry and comfortable. She opted for a creamy sweater, patterned with a parade of little orange alpacas. It had been a gift from Toni for her birthday last year, and while it wasn't typically her first choice in fashion, she had found it to be incredibly comfortable and definitely worth the wear. At least around the house.

When she finally made her way back out into the dining area, Klaus was just finishing setting down dinner ware on the table. He looked up to her, smiling when they made eye contact, and moved to a chair, pulling it out for her to sit. Rachel tipped her head to the side, a warm grin on her face and sat, catching Klaus by the lapels of his shirt and pecking him quickly on the cheek before he skittered back to the kitchen to grab the stew. He returned, pouring a generous helping into each of their bowls. He sat down next to his wife and waited for her to begin eating before he took his own spoonful of stew.

"Klaus, does Yuri seem upset to you?" Rachel looked up at Klaus from over her bowl, her spoon slowly making its way to her mouth. She closed her lips over it, frowning. "She's been really quiet lately."

Klaus shrugged his shoulders. "She seems just as quiet and anti-social as she usually does. Not that I would know. It's not like she talk to me, or even comes in by herself for check-ups. Her mother is always with her, and you know how chatty she is." He gave her a pointed look, silently asking for the millionth time why she and Yuri got along. He had always wondered where their friendship had come from, but his wife could never seem to give him an answer.

Rachel rolled her eyes at him. "You know she's not good with people. Don't take it personally-"

"I'm not taking it personally. I'm simply making an observation."

Rachel lifted her hand up, halting him from saying anymore. "Regardless, I'm worried about her. Ever since Michelle left she's had a cloud of depression hanging over her head. No matter what I do, she's always holding back. I'm worried for her, Klaus." She gazed into her bowl, stirring the meat and vegetables around in a wide circle, as if she could somehow find the answers to Yuri's problem deep within the brown water. Frustrated, she slapped the bowl of her spoon into it, pushing her unfinished food away, simply stating, "I'm not hungry anymore." She turned to look at Klaus, who was already beginning to voice his dissatisfaction with her.

"You need to eat, Rachel. You did a lot of work today, aside from the regular. If you don't eat, you could get sick." He looked at her pleadingly, begging her to eat her food. She relented, grabbing her bowl forcefully and placed it back in front of herself. Klaus nodded at her, glad she had made the right decision. He went back to his own bowl, making a note to add more onions to it next time.

The two sat in a tense silence for but a moment before Rachel started speaking again, the topic continuing to be Yuri. It seemed Yuri was the only thing she could manage to concern herself with this evening.

"I just don't understand. Michelle leaves all the time, and it's never been this bad for Yuri before. It shouldn't be. I mean, she does have me to talk to now. I know we haven't been friends since childhood like they have, but my companionship should count for something, right?"

"Of course it does. Though she hasn't said it to me, I can tell she enjoys having you around quite a bit. I'm sure Emma would tell you the same thing." Klaus picked up his bowl and went to the kitchen, rinsing his bowl and placing it next to the sink. He washed off his hands as well, as if he were preparing for surgery and then dried them vigorously. It was a wonder his hands were always so soft; each time he washed his hands, he made sure he did so thoroughly, treating them roughly, so as to get all of the germs off. Or so he claimed.

Rachel sighed. "It's not going to get better until I get a chance to talk to her, is it?"

Klaus shook his head, his feet barely making noise as he moved across the floor to their bedroom. He disappeared behind the large oak door into the darkness and his voice carried through the rooms like a specter haunting a house. "No, it likely won't. So I recommend you stop fussing and put it out of your mind for the evening." Clothes rustled, then there was silence, followed by more rustling. He reappeared moments later in a sweater of his own and a pair of comfortable pants. He went behind his wife and put his hands on her shoulders, gently massaging them until she relaxed.

"Perhaps you should take up the offer of a nice, calming bath. It will help you relax." He circled his thumbs on her shoulder blades soothingly. "I'll go find you some bath salts, and for at least the span of your bath you can do me the favor of forgetting about Yuri and her issues. Afterward you can do whatever you would like to." He massaged a few more circles onto her back, then tapped her shoulders and directed her toward the bathroom. Rachel turned toward him as she approached the door and gave him a smile.

"I love you, Klaus."

He chuckled, waving her further through the door, and nodded his head at her.

"I love you as well, Rachel. Now go. I'll be back momentarily."

Rachel shivered as she entered the chilled bathroom, immediately going to the tub and filling it with hot water. Steam rose from the watery bed, carrying with it leftover aromas from previous baths. A barely-present lavender scent stood out most prominently to Rachel, and she wondered which of Klaus' many bath salts he would choose for her this evening. The amount of varying bath salts her husband possessed was surprising, and she eventually learned they were his secret passion. There were many quirks Klaus had, such as his lust for pondering over the small things in life, like pastas and their shapes, but his love for bath salts stood out amongst all of them as perhaps the most queer of them all. Not that she minded, because she certainly didn't go out of her way to collect the little beads which made her baths so many times better, and the fact that her husband did all of the hard work for her was certainly no trouble. If it made him happy, she was certainly not going to stand in his way.

When the tub was finally full Rachel turned the knobs, ceasing the flow of water instantly and she stood, her fingers curling tightly around the bottom of her sweater. She lifted her arms to pull it over her head but met with resistance midway up her stomach, just a light pressure on her upper arms signaling for her to cease. A soft whisper glanced past her ear and she nodded, agreeing with the silent words and she stilled her movements, releasing her grip on the top and allowing it to fall back to her waist, only to be grasped again seconds later by Klaus' skillful hands.

He ran his fingers teasingly over her waistline, following the band of the sweater around her heated flesh, running them in sensual lines along her waistband, every so often dipping his fingers beneath the line to bring her closer to where he wanted her. He leaned his head forward, pressing a gentle kiss just behind her ear and following a trail down to her jaw. He nipped at it lightly, running his fingers lower again as he did so. A soft moan slipped through her lips and she squirmed against him.

"Klaus," she breathed, her voice uncontrollably husky as she spoke, "Stop." Her words held no conviction, and they both knew it.

He chuckled at her, shrugging his shoulders in response to her statement, and lifted her sweater higher, freeing her breasts to the humid air. He tugged upward insistently until she lifted her arms, and he finally freed her from the warm cotton cocoon she had put herself in not an hour before. He tossed the fabric bundle to the floor carelessly and it landed in a fluttering pile, totally forgotten by the two; as soon as the shirt hit the floor, Klaus went back to worshipping his wife's body, working on removing the next piece of clothing from her, peppering kisses on her soft skin as it was unveiled, until she stood in front of him in only her underwear. He spun her around to face him, silently appreciating her body as he looked her up and down. When he had taken his visual fill he reached around and undid the clasp that stood between him and her naked body and her bra fell to the floor, joining the rest of her clothes in a haphazard mound at their feet. They both looked down to the clothes, their eyes meeting on the path back up, and Klaus moved to her covering her breasts with his hands.

He clasped them tightly, kneading them slowly, enjoying the way they perfectly filled his hands; he hadn't really considered the pleasure a woman's body could bring to a man before he had met Rachel, but one passionate, and very spontaneous, evening with her had brought him to a realization and since that moment he couldn't seem to get enough of her, always going for her breasts when they made love. Rachel couldn't say she minded in the least. Her eyes drifted shut lazily and they continued in this manner until Klaus paused and she opened her eyes, noticing that her husband's eyes were heavy with a lust that matched her own. The corner of her mouth tugged up, her amusement obvious as she took in the sight of him. A small smile broke across her face and she cupped his face, kissed the tip of his nose, and stepped back from him. She set her hands on his chest, bringing attention to the fact that he was still completely dressed and he took a half step back, lifting one finger silently and exited the bathroom, shutting the door behind him silently on his way. There were rustling noises from some room in the house, likely the bedroom, then the barely audible sound of Klaus coming back, his footsteps increasing in volume until the door opened again and he returned, a few items in tow. He went to the counter, setting down two blue cups of tea along with a large, fluffy white robe, then moved to his wife and motioned his head toward the tub. She moved to it obediently and immersed herself in the steaming water.

Rachel moaned slightly as the water hit her already heated skin, inhaled deeply when Klaus sprinkled a handful of the salts over the bath water, the bathroom instantly filling with a powerful peppermint aroma, and then leaned her neck back against the edge of the tub, relaxing and letting the excitement of the day slowly leak out of her body. She thought on how the bath was absolutely perfect after the hard work she had done with the rest of the villagers, and she had nearly fallen into a deep slumber when she felt the water ripple as Klaus joined her in the water, his body settling down next to hers. For awhile the pair sat in silence, every so often sniffing deeply and taking in the peppermint, neither moving or saying anything, simply enjoying the peace of the moment. Rachel leaned her head over, resting it on Klaus' shoulder, and he moved, readjusting their bodies so she was sitting with her back against his chest. She nestled back, trying to find the most comfortable position to sit in, and Klaus reached up, slowly massaging her shoulders in a smooth rhythm. Rachel moaned again, leaning into his touch, and from there the situation escalated.

His hands stayed on his shoulders for a few minutes, expertly rubbing the tension out of her tight muscles. Rachel could feel the stress evaporating away from her body as if it had never been and wished his masterful ministrations would never end, but his hands were not satisfied with just the smooth skin of her back and were soon straying around to the front of her body, moving over her breasts in an achingly tantalizing way, teasing her into a delightful, oblivious bliss. She arched into his touch as he circled his thumbs around her dusky nipples, the buds growing harder beneath his hands. Her mouth opened of its own will, her lungs drawing in breath sharply as his hands ventured lower down her body, finally submerging beneath the water on a venture to places that they both knew would draw an even sweeter reaction from her. Her body coiled tightly in expectance, her blood humming through her veins excitedly, knowing and eager for the pleasure that was to come from the loving touch of her husband.

Rachel nibbled lightly on Klaus' ear, simultaneously panting as she did so, and his hands clenched and unclenched tightly on her hips, which were settled snugly around his lap as they rode out the intense feelings of orgasm together. She groaned, her body slowly returning from extreme pleasure, still gelatinous from their lovemaking. She slumped against him and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she relaxed. She sighed, both her body and mind completely sated, and she was finally ready to lay lax in the tub, letting her thoughts wander where they may. Klaus let her be, only moving to alert her when tiny snores started sawing themselves from between her lips. She grunted, snuggling closer against him, not wanting to move; there were many things Klaus could get his wife to do, from trying new entrees for dinner to inventive sexual positions, and she would follow him blindly, trusting his judgment in all cases, but when it came around to him attempting to wake her from any sort of sleep, it was like trying to take a berry from inside a bear's mouth; both a bad and dangerous idea. Rachel snorted when he shook her body gently, then reached out and pawed at him as he stood, bringing her slender body out of the water with him.

"Come now, Rachel, if you laze about in the water for much longer, you're going to get all soggy. Aside from that, this water is long past cold." He set her on the edge of the tub, her body slumping against the wall in her half asleep state-of-mind, and went to the closet to grab a few towels. He brought some over to her, gently drying her body off, and wrapped one around his own waist. When she was sufficiently dry, he tapped her face gingerly, trying to wake her but not hurt her. She hummed, her lids fluttering spastically as she tried, vainly, to get them to open. Exhaustion won her over and Klaus acknowledged it, accepting the fact that he had no other choice than to carry his wife to bed. He smiled at her, finding her heavy sleeping patterns endearing, and snaked his arm underneath her legs, effortlessly lifting her body into the air; he may be slender, but he was far from weak.

The temperature outside the bathroom seemed frigid now in comparison to when he had first entered the room, and he shivered slightly as he made his way across the house to their bedroom. The thought of starting a fire in the fireplace dawned on him, but he decided against it, realizing that in a matter of moments he too would be as exhausted as his wife was, and he much preferred to heat his body with the warmth from his wife's. He nudged the door open with his foot and tapped it lightly to get it to shut again, moving in a ghastly manner to their bed, the covers already turned back and waiting for them. He settled her in, smiling as she snuggled immediately into them and got comfortable, then placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and moved around to the other side of the bed, climbing in himself and bringing his wife's body closer to his. He looked toward the darkened window, noticing the snow falling gently outside, and closed his eyes, slumber already falling quickly upon him.


End file.
